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Question ...

Discussion in '348/355' started by MFC997, Mar 27, 2010.

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  1. MFC997

    MFC997 Karting

    Nov 13, 2009
    60
    Lil' dilemma for me. I can afford a 430 but have fallen stone in love with the 355. I literally can't stop looking at it the lines are almost hypnotic. The 430 is appealing in a Batmobile kinda way but it's Grace Kelly vs. Megan Fox if you know what I mean. The question for y'all is if you could afford it would you step up to the creature comforts and improved HP / driving dynamics of the 430 or stick with the shark. I know y'all love the 355 but be honest and just imagine your old uncle bequeathed you that 200K in gold coins he had buried under his porch :D How 'bout it ... ??
     
  2. njb8199

    njb8199 Rookie

    Mar 10, 2010
    35
    I'm of the "KISS" mentality. The older, the better.

    Go for a '95 355 and with the money saved over buying a 430, buy a 348 AND a 328. :D
     
  3. BLAMPEE

    BLAMPEE Man Card Status: Never Issued

    To be honest, I never drove any Ferrari before buying my 355 in 2008. My first choice was a silver 2001 360 Spider. However, I couldn't find a bank to give me a standard car loan on that car because I didn't have any large car payments on my credit history. The biggest car payment I ever had was $480.

    So, I was "forced" to buy a 355.

    Holy smokes...the sound is just incredible! I also love the smallness feel of it. It sounds weird but I feel more in tune with the road in my 355 versus a 360 or 430. I feel like I am a part of the car itself. Call me crazy, I know...

    The credit union told me after 12 on-time payments they would finance me $100k car loan. Well, if I dropped $20k as a down payment, I could afford a 430 now with ease.

    But, I still have my 355. ;)

    Hope that answers your question!

    PS. A 430 doesn't give double the satisfaction of my 355. That is how I justify my spending, and a 430 costs about double as a 355 in today's market.
     
  4. SGM

    SGM F1 Rookie
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Sep 27, 2006
    2,790
    Northern VA
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    Steve
    Neither........I would get a Challenge Stradale :D:D
     
  5. PAP 348

    PAP 348 Nine Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 10, 2005
    99,167
    Mount Isa, Australia
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    Pap
    +360! :eek::eek:
     
  6. rbellezza

    rbellezza F1 Rookie

    Jun 18, 2008
    2,792
    Henderson, NV
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    Roberto Bellezza
    +360 too !
     
  7. AceMaster

    AceMaster Three Time F1 World Champ

    Feb 6, 2009
    34,548
    Ontario, Canada
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    Mike
    Believe it or not, the choice is very simple. It is not about what you can afford or how much money you have, rather it is about the model you want and like the most. In your case, although you can afford a 430 it sounds like you really want a 355.
     
  8. Sandy Eggo

    Sandy Eggo F1 Rookie
    BANNED

    Jun 4, 2009
    3,636
    Encinitas, CA
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    Rick
    Wise words.

    Dammit. Stop putting ideas in my head. :D
     
  9. jetfixr

    jetfixr Formula 3

    Jun 14, 2007
    1,016
    northeast
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    #9 jetfixr, Mar 28, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2010
    I would go with a 430.....I do believe that Enzo himself was asked what his best car was and he responded something to the effect of "my next one". Newer the better in my opinion..,...


    GET what YOU want, if you love the looks great, but you will be dropping the engine to service and it IS a little anemic on power by comparison.

    I love my 355 but it needs 100-150 more horsepower in my opinion which is basically what you get with a 430.

    As human beings we evolve for a reason....Lets face it, the 355 is good looking and timeless but so is a TR, or a 328, why are they not brought up as "timeless classics".

    The real question to me is, do you want a good reliable experience or pick up the high maintenance babe.

    Bear in mind that there IS a reason 430's and especially 360's have nearly the same miles as the 355 built nearly a decade prior...




    My .02
     
  10. Driftracer3

    Driftracer3 Formula Junior

    Jan 5, 2006
    640
    #10 Driftracer3, Mar 28, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2010
    Jetfixr put it very well.


    IMO, if you want something uber quick, the 355 isnt really it. There are many quicker, more powerful cars, but the 355 is such an enjoyable car in every way. The 360 and 430 are quicker, more reliable, and so on.

    The 355 for me is such an all around car that almost anything falls short.
     
  11. 348SStb

    348SStb F1 Rookie
    Owner

    I must say that the 355 *is* quick. It's quick and it's fast. Of course, the 430 is ridiculously fast. The later V8 cars are just not as much fun in my opinion.

    If you are really rolling over in the cash, skip the BS and get a 599 GTB! That's the best all-around car on the planet. Otherwise, get a 355 and perhaps another 2 Ferraris for the price of one F430. The 430 is a vulgar looking concoction that will be forgotten about in, say, 3 years. The 430 will not be remembered... the 355 lives forever as one of the top Ferraris ever produced. My humble opinion :)
     
  12. AceMaster

    AceMaster Three Time F1 World Champ

    Feb 6, 2009
    34,548
    Ontario, Canada
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    Mike
    With that said, the 430 is not Enzo's, as he passed away long before this. I am not sure what Enzo's last car was, I read a thread here somewhere that the 348 was his last project, and the 355 was Luca Di Montezemolo's first....again, I am not sure which model is his last...sorry to to OP for going off topic a bit here :)
     
  13. jetfixr

    jetfixr Formula 3

    Jun 14, 2007
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    #13 jetfixr, Mar 28, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2010
    Alright guys no BS here.......In the first post I was a little soft.

    The 355 is a SLUG......If you think it is fast then you've never owned a fast car.

    Quick is a relative term, a Nissan Maxima is *quick* and actually not far off the mark in power.

    We all must first admit that we own Ferraris because they are "Ferrari's" . You can deny it all day long but that is the simple truth. There are two categories of Ferrari owner in my opinion. There are owners that like to look at themselves in the reflection of department store windows and then there are motorheads.
    Many Ferrari owners love fine machines and have a true appreciation for design, technology, and advanced materials. If you fall into the latter category in any way than you have to appreciate advancement including the later models (360,430,458)

    I however don't like the fact that I cannot even play aggresively with a C6 vette.

    All things aside sometimes its not top priority to be the fastest guy in town....Unfortunately for me speed is a big issue, I love power, and I don't have loads of excess time to fix things for fun, especially considering that's what I do for a living.
    If you love to tinker and always screw around tweaking things and chasing little items then go get a 355, trust me you'll have a blast.

    The 430 is a car I've looked at on numerous occasions. If you financed a 430 today your total payments would most likely be less than the payments, breakdowns and engine outs on the earlier vintage car annually. Especially the 355.........

    Granted the 430 doesn't look the same, but I have to be honest.....Reliability makes it look sexier to me every time my car acts up.


    I love my car but I'd be lying if I said I wouldn't trade. In a heart beat......Just like 85% of the guys on here would if money wasn't an issue.......If you're not certain go drive a 430, lightening fast shifts and it will leave a 355 likes it's chained to a pole.

    If we had a different administration I'd buy one, I am self employed and I have no faith in our current direction, I will save that for the P&R section.

    It's really that simple


    As always this is in good fun thats all...
     
  14. MFC997

    MFC997 Karting

    Nov 13, 2009
    60
    I like speed as much as the next guy but if that was the only concern I'd go get a 997 Turbo and call it a day. But as we all know there's just something about a Ferrari.

    It's always nice to be king of the hill but most of my fun will be back roads and Mid Ohio which I'm lucky enough to have close to me. There's always somebody out there who has a faster car, prettier wife, bigger house, etc. so you just gotta go with what makes you happy. It's a dilemma but there are a lot worse problems to have for sure... :D
     
  15. tullos3

    tullos3 Rookie

    Oct 13, 2005
    9
    OKLAHOMA CITY
    Full Name:
    HUGH
    If your about speed, I've got a 1000 hp, twin turbo, 56 Nomad. All the cars you named are not even amusing compared to that. I also have Hayabusa. Speed out the eyes for 10k.. Speed is very, very cheap... What is not cheap is subtle excellence. For the price, you get more subtle excellence in a 355 than just about anything on the market... and by the way 430s break too and depreciate very quickly in the years to come. Let's do be realistic.
     
  16. 348SStb

    348SStb F1 Rookie
    Owner

    #16 348SStb, Mar 28, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2010
    I must respond to this. With all due respect, of course :D

    I've been a daily driver of the fastest of the world's cars: F430, Porsche 997 Turbo, etc., etc.

    The 355 *is* a fast car. It's not anything to with today's exotics. But it's still a fast car -- it won't knock your socks off up to 60 or 100; but we must remember that the obsession with 0-60 and 0-100 is a recent phenomenon (like in this century). When they made the 355, they weren't trying to win the 0-60 battle. I'm quite sure the 355 could be geared to produce a 4.0 0-60 time. It's light, it's got lots of power, and it's got an 8500 RPM red line.

    Now, if you are going to mention C6 Corvette...

    The C6 has *NOTHING* above 100 miles/hour! Ferraris are FAST at high speed. They're made for high speed. A 355 will demolish a C6 Corvette at high speed. Sure, the vulgar LS7 Corvette Engine at 6 litres or so will pull that baby up to 100 pretty quickly, but it runs out of muscle at high speed. I drove a C6 across Nevada and when I floored the thing at 120, I felt like I was flooring a Honda Civic. It wouldn't go! No comparison to a real sports car. Sorry for insulting the C6 by suggesting it isn't a real sports car, but hey -- I'm on home turf here: this is a Ferrari forum. My Dad and brother each owned a C6 for less than a year. I drove it plenty.

    I remember when the 360 was the top Ferrari, everyone talked about how much faster the 996 Porsche Turbo was. Having driven the 996 Turbo for tens of thousands of miles, I'll be the first to say it's insanely fast -- disgustingly fast. Really throws you back in the seat. Well, my Dad, brother, and I decided to test these two out on the autobahns of Germany (and also Italy). Yes, we shipped our Turbo and our 360 to Amsterdam and drove the two through Germany down to France via Switzerland and Italy. On paper, the Porsche Turbo is faster, and it sure feels faster. But let me tell you -- that 360 Modena with its *paltry* 395 horsepower in its day was the fastest regular production car on wheels after, say, 130 miles/hour. Today I'd say few cars besides its Ferrari successors could top its high speed performance. I went all the way up to 180 miles/hour and left the Porsche Turbo behind. That 360 just keeps on pulling. It was incredible. I redlined that baby in 5th gear at 158 miles/hour and it just kept going all the way to 180! In the Turbo, I was scared to go faster than 160. The comparatively poor coefficient of drag in the Porsche at high, high speed sort of made the car feel like a Minivan or something. But my brother took it up to 174 on that run. He said he was terrified. I stopped the 360 at 180 only because that wonderful 10-mile straightaway just on the west side of Milan (heading Southwest past Milan) was quickly coming to an end. The 360 was not scary even at 180 miles/hour.

    Oh, and my 355 berlinetta for whatever reason is *just* as fast as the 360 I just mentioned. At least on the street it is. Maybe it's the new valve guides :)

    Long story short, the Ferraris are the masters of the autostrade and autobahns. The 355 is no exception to this. The rest of the sports cars out there are masters of the American drag racing strip. I realize that the eccentric high speed driving I've mentioned is not very practical; but I just wanted to communicate my very real experience with high speed.
     
  17. 348SStb

    348SStb F1 Rookie
    Owner

    Great post.
     
  18. jetfixr

    jetfixr Formula 3

    Jun 14, 2007
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    #18 jetfixr, Mar 28, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2010
    Guys, keep in mind I do own a 355, just a few months ago I had 2 of them.

    I've done every single maintenance item including engine overhaul that has been mentioned in these threads so I am somewhat familiar with the car, actually intimately familiar. I have had the car near top speed. Anyone that has ever had a 355 to top speed will tell you that the front end is a little light and feels a little unstable, this is a topic covered multiple times actually right here on these threads.

    The original post was that of having 200K in your pocket would you get a 430 or 355. Lets keep it in "perspective" and be "realistic" as stated earlier by another poster .

    I stated an opinion, just that...Of course they are machines, they all break....To say a 430 is even in the same arena on reliability however is just plain crazy. Call any Ferrari dealership anywhere and they will tell you it's a night and day comparison.

    I agree with all of you, its a nice car, one I love to own....But I've had better, faster, more reliable exotic cars, so far I just haven't decided that spending 100K on a single car is for me and I hate Vettes! So I settle for a 355......

    At the prices they are selling for you can get three of them for the price of a 430. One to drive and the other two to use for parts bins to keep the first one running.

    If the original poster would like an answer, you have mine. If your sold on the 355 then get a couple :) .

    It's a great car, sounds fantastic, and runs *good*, but be prepared to work on it.
     
  19. INTMD8

    INTMD8 F1 Veteran
    Owner

    Jun 10, 2007
    6,485
    Lake Villa IL
    I've owned 800+ and 1000+hp cars (and still build them on a regular basis) but I certainly would not call the 355 a slug.

    The -respectable- amount of acceleration matched with an exceptionally awesome exhaust note and 8500rpm shift point makes the car rather exhilarating to drive in my opinion.

    I was always drawn to this car because of it's sound and I'm finding that's what I enjoy the most about it now that I own one.
     
  20. rbellezza

    rbellezza F1 Rookie

    Jun 18, 2008
    2,792
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    When we go out for a run on Sundays here in Las Vegas, I drive my lowly 348 with a bunch of corvettes and a couple of friends that have 355's. I truly love the way the 355 looks and sound, and apparently i am not the only one because I heard more than once guys in Corvettes saying " Oh man I want one of those ! "
     
  21. mlambert890

    mlambert890 Formula Junior

    Apr 2, 2002
    389
    CA
    #21 mlambert890, Mar 29, 2010
    Last edited: Mar 29, 2010
    This kind of chat happens a lot on every forum. The point I always try to make is that just because other, newer cars have gotten quicker and faster doesn't make an older car slow.

    Any car capable of running through a quarter mile in less than 13 seconds, to 60 in less than 5, and topping out at 170+ mph is far more car than the vast majority of drivers can handle, much less utilize on public roads.

    I have a heavily modified NSX and the vette, the cheap/fast sedans, etc come up a lot on the NSX Prime forums. If your real focus is to drive an exotic that is also the fastest thing on the road today, then you have no choice but to go top of the line, brand new, and upgrade everytime Chevy revs their Z06. Seems silly to me. Seems healthier to find the car that truly speaks to you and enjoy the hell out of it.

    And in my book, the TR and 3x8 are certainly timeless classics. IM surprised to see it suggested that they aren't.
     
  22. Dean355

    Dean355 Formula 3

    Sep 4, 2006
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    Very well said!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
  23. Dean355

    Dean355 Formula 3

    Sep 4, 2006
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    Dean
    Another great post Jetfixr!!!
     
  24. AceMaster

    AceMaster Three Time F1 World Champ

    Feb 6, 2009
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    Mike
    Good post aka "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence"...but you nailed it dead on when you said "there's just something about a Ferrari"...they certainly are special, in a class on their own....or in the words of Jim Rome "There's a Ferrari, then there's every other exotic".
     

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